The NES released in 1983 in Japan and 1985 in America. The Genesis released in 1988 in Japan and 1989 in America. The SNES on the other hand released in 1990 in Japan and 1991 so it really doesn't get anymore obvious than this that the Genesis was mostly competing with the SNES for the majority of it's lifetime therefore it's acknowledged as a 4th gen console as such ... 

There's no hint of a PS5 or Xbox Two on the horizon. The NX can hardly be classified as "next gen" when the competitors are "current gen" and power wise, it's not guaranteed to be more powerful than the current consoles either so it definitely may not fit the pattern as well ... 

Yes you may prefer options but believe it or not there's tons of monopoly in life ... 

The only gen that lasted past the 6 year mark was the 7th gen. That gen went on way too long imo. 2018 seems very likely for Microsoft. Not just for the head start, but I believe Microsoft doesn't want Sony to hold a monopoly ever again so they will make the 5 year gen cycle standard. The biggest thing Microsoft can do is keep expanding and find ways/reasons to get xbox in people's living room. They need to really buyout AMD not for power, but to get the xbox systems at a cheap price.

Also, 4k will probably not be the standard next gen. People are already complaining about how much time it takes to download games and 4k tvs won't be standard for a while. There is more to graphics then rez.

If that is what happens, then yes, I can see that happening.. The PS3 and Xbox 360 is still getting support to this day because the userbase is bigger there

For consumers it is. Consumer surplus = 0 in a monopoly. Price = marginal benefit. In an oligopoly consumer surplus =|= 0. Price < Marginal Benefit. If we talk about total welfare, there is a deadweight loss unless the producer can perfectly price discriminate. 

Sounds like Nintendo has no chance either, what a very bleak and dreary gen that would be, especially in terms of choice and competition (choice as in games other plats bring and we know other plats do bring unique and new games along with having the choice of other platforms which has been a thing since the start).

To quote myself from 25 March 2011:

These are all US release dates, the only release date that matters IMO.

Wii U (Wii2) came out November 18, 2012 so 72 months.

PS4 came out November 15, 2013 so 84 months exactly as I predicted.

This proves that the generations are not really getting shorter, they are either staying the same or getting longer, which was what was being discussed in the thread I quoted myself from.

I predict, again conservatively, that if the trend holds:

NX (Wii3) will release November 2018 (72 months) or later.

PS5 will release November 2020 or later.

Don't ever count Nintendo out. Have you forgotten the upset they caused last gen?  Not only were they their usual dominant with the handheld but they also won the home battle aswell. 

As long as at least 1 console exists there will always be competition.  Because pc will always be there. 

I dunno, mobile and tablets are taking the handheld space and if we go with just raw power then I just don't see Nintendo taking anything next gen or this gen, if MS leaves then it's basically the worst gen possible.

PC doesn't compete with consoles since both markets operate and deal differently.

I think the definition of generations as we know it is outdated and is going to change, soon.

Gen 8 to Gen 9 is going to be the most wild transition in home elctronics history.

Sony is positioning PS4 as a replacement for the PC, the game console, the cable box, and the set top boxes. PlayStation is the only thing keeping Sony relevent in consumer electronics, and they are putting every effort into growing the PS4 OS, PSN, and the PlayStation ecosystem into something that can compete with Microsoft, Apple, and Google. They have to hit a home run at every appearence and they need PlayStation Vue and PlayStation VR to be major success's to help them gain an upper hand in the next era of home entertainment and home computing. I believe the future of PlayStation will be quite similar to the tablet and smartphone market in the near future. Yearly revisions, that continue to keep the PlayStation OS and Hardware at the forefront of home computing. I believe a PlayStation 4(X) will be released before the PlayStation 5.

Microsoft is trying to unifiy their ecosystem across all platforms, and they are also trying to real their platforms in, by building exceptional hardware. Xbox seems lost right now, but I see the platform thriving in the future as its position becomes more clear. Just like PlayStation is for Sony, Microsoft will continue to reiterate the Xbox as the ultimate Windows experience. It is the Microsoft PC built and optimized for the best indows experience on the market. Xbox, Surface, and Windows Phone will be the MS platforms of the future. Xbox will also see a much more tablet and smartphone approach going forward.

Nintendo looks to be in a last ditch effort to continue to be in the game. NX has to change the way we interact with home and mobile electronics if they want to succeed. They have to bring Live TV, they have to bring VR, they have to have music, movie, and tv services, and all of the rest of the things you find on every other console, set top box, and mobile device. Not only that, but they have to do it in a way that is so amazing, it will get people to give up their PC, PlayStation, Tablet, or Smartphone. If they succeed, the same structure of a Smartphone or Tablet like yearly revision approach will be put in place.

The way I see it, gen 8 is building the road to the future. Nintendo is getting into the game very late with NX, as I don't consider WiiU or 3DS platforms built for continued revenue, and sustanable growth. Sony and MS are already well on their way to building mega ecosystems. Then we have Apple and Google the current kings, inching their way in with things like Apple TV and Chromecast, and way outside, we have Amazon.

How this all plays out is going to be very interesting. In the end I think it will be a world that is split between Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Sony. All 4 in such powerful positions it will be nearly impossible for anyone to every compete.